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Monthly Archives: April 2014

I love a story about how crafting has helped change the lives of others. Whether it is a new found hobby, a way to support others, or to express love, crafting can brings joy into so many people’s lives. Here is an article I spied on Facebook about some very unlikely knitters. This article really got me thinking: How I will use my crafting powers for good this year?

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This weekend I was down in SoCal visiting my boyfriend. Saturday was our two-year anniversary, so he planned a cute day trip to the Palos Verdes Hills. The trip was wonderful! Palos Verdes sits along the coast so we had great views of the Pacific Ocean out to Catalina. All of the houses were Spanish style homes that sat on a cliff overlooking the water. Amazing! When I hit the lottery I am defiantly going retire here. When we got there we enjoyed a short hike, some cave exploration, and a nice picnic by the water.

Our anniversary also coincided with my boyfriend’s work gala. The theme this year was the Great Gatsby. I love the fashion of the 1920s, especially the headpieces. After a little research, I decided to DIY a headpiece to wear to the party. I found some vintage looking lace in the local arts and crafts store and combined it with my great-grandmother’s brooch and a feather piece. Sorry for the bad party pics, but the lighting was no so good for my iPhone.

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Is it me or are you too feeling like you are being bombarded with shawl patterns? Many sites are featuring quite a number of lacy shawl patterns. I generally don’t pick shawls to make, but some of these patterns are too good not to try. Here are some of my favorites.

Knitty.com– (Regenerate) This shawl is gorgeous in purple, but I think it would be stunning in a cream color as well. Bridal Shower gift maybe?

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Remember that Wonder Knitter I got around holiday time? I am having trouble recalling it too, as I haven’t used it in 3 months :(. Funny how something can seem so great at the moment, yet is forgotten 2 weeks later.

My boyfriend gifted me this cool medallion from his trip to Australia. I really like how it use to be a fork.

When he gave it to me I immediately thought of my Wonder Knitter. I had the perfect reason to use it again! I dug through my stash and decided on a green cotton/ acrylic blend. I also added a decorative button that I had saved from another project a while ago. Well 30 minutes later and Ta-dah!

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Since being on vacation, I have been procrastinating big time! At the start of the week I had my list ready and I was going to be the errand queen. Ahhh the dreamer in me. It is now Friday and none of the following has been completed.

1) Renewing my passport. Pictures are sitting on my desk and the application is online…fail!

2) Heading to the cobbler. I have three pairs of shoes that are in dire need of a new sole.

3) Dropping that winter coat off at the dry cleaner. Not that I need it, but it has been sitting in my closet since December.

4) Making those Easter treats I swore I would make.(Damn you pinterest!)

The only thing I have to show for is the new sweater I started. I am currently knitting up Flax from TinCan Knits. I found this free pattern on Ravelry as I was searching for my first top-down circular construction sweater. This pattern is aimed at beginning knitters, but my goal was to focus more on the construction of the sweater. I am adding some custom touches such as using coral for the neckband, cuffs, and waistband. So far all is going well. The directions are super straightforward and the patterns comes with lots of visuals. I substituted the superwash worsted for Rowan’s Softknit Cotton. Check back for progress!

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It is so relaxing to have the week off to do what I please. I can catch up on things such as blogging!

Remember that Rainbow Shawl that I started on my camping trip? Well here is the finished product! I was really excited about how it came out. It is the perfect scarf for living in a windy city.

I also completed a wrap headband made from a pima cotton blend from Berroco. Due to my relatively new curly hair, headbands and wraps are essential! This headband is the perfect natural hair solution.

I also crocheted a flower headband and finally got to get some pictures of it action. Crochet is growing on me more. It is a great way to make a project fast. Wear this piece as a headband, bun adornment, or necklace. Now available at my Etsy store!

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Happy Anniversary to KnitsbyWhit!!! I can’t believe that I have had this blog for one year already. Thank you all for reading and I hope to have another wonderful year blogging.

Well it is finally Spring Break! My mother is visiting from Virginia so we decided on a day trip to do wine tasting . If you have never been to Napa Valley it can be a little overwhelming in terms of choosing a winery to visit. There are so many! Many friends have told me great things about the “castle winery” or Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga, CA. So we hopped in the car and took a two-hour journey up US-101 North.

The location of the castle is beautiful. It sits on one of the many rolling hills surrounded by grape vines, wildflowers, and mountains off in the distance. We opted to take the guided tour of the castle which included a 45 minutes wine tasting. The castle was finished in the early 2000’s, but was designed in a Medieval style. The owner used stones from local California quarries as well as bricks from Europe. It included 121 rooms, a huge courtyard, a great hall, and farm animals. We also got to view the underground tunnels where the wine barrels are stored. The castle also had authentic touches such as an armor display room and a torture chamber (yikes!). As for tasting, we has a sample straight from the barrel as well as a private tasting of the many other wines they sell. The wines were pretty amazing. I am usually a white wine drinker, but the Cabernet Sauvignon was one of my favorites of the day.

There are many wineries to choose from in Napa, however, this one really was an experience. If you are looking for a little history/culture with your wine, I would defiantly recommend a stop at Castello di Amorosa